The present invention generally relates to pointing or cursor-controlling computer peripheral devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to an annular rotating ring for use with a trackball or other pointing device for a computer.
A rotating ring, if implemented and constructed correctly, offers a number of advantages to a user. For example, a rotating ring may enable a user to precisely control the vertical directional movement of a cursor on a computer screen. However, the rotation of a rotating ring may generate a certain amount of slop, i.e., undesired movement in any direction or axis, which in turn affect the user""s ability to precisely position a cursor at a specific location on a computer screen.
Furthermore, it is also important that the ease of use by a user is taken into consideration. Since the rotating ring is incorporated into a pointing device and thus is used as part of an interface to the computer, the level of convenience of use is often crucial to the viability of the pointing device as a commercial product.
The present invention pertains to a computer pointing device having an annular rotating ring that is rotatable by a user to control the movement of a cursor on a computer screen. The ring is easy to control (allowing precise movement) and is easy to use and to maintain. The annular ring is preferably implemented around a trackball to facilitate the ease of use by the user. In an exemplary embodiment, the annular ring is made up of three constituent rings, namely, a finger ring, a bearing ring, and a shutter ring. The three constituent rings are constructed in such a way that they are interlocked to reduce any unnecessary movement or slop during use. More specifically, the shutter ring includes a number of receptacles and notches which are used to respectively engage the interlocking arms from the bearing ring and the hooks from the finger ring.
Using multiple (e.g., three) constituent rings to make up the rotating ring provides a number of advantages. For example, having three separate constituent rings facilitates the manufacturing and assembly process of the rotating ring. In addition, the three disengageable constituent rings permit the pointing device to be maintained and cleaned relatively easily thereby prolonging the lifespan of the pointing device.
Furthermore, the bottom surface of the shutter ring includes a number of saw-toothed features which are used to provide tactile feedback to a user so as to allow the user to have a better feel for the degree of movement when the user rotates the annular ring. Additional signal transfer mechanisms are provided to capture and transfer the signals represented by the rotation of the annular ring. As will be described in further details below, the present invention provides a rotating ring which significantly reduces slop and satisfies other needs as well.
Reference to the remaining portions of the specification, including the drawings and claims, will realize other features and advantages of the present invention. Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below with respect to accompanying drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements.